Football game



.FOOTBALL GAME wwzm wzzuo A Para R.. .my h. m w BN. www N 1 W 0 4 uzm Q` I. ...wm .OWJ Q* Q j Q H. B. DOWNEY Filed Oct. 16, 1953 Dec. v15, 1936.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec, 1,5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE i Hugh B. Downey, Kansas City, Mo. Application October 16, 1933, Serial No. 693,855

1 Claim.

This invention relates to amusement devices and has particular reference to a table orl similar game relating to football, and the primary object of the invention is the contemplation of such a game having as a part thereof, a chart simulating the conventional football eld and a plurality of cards or similar units, whereby is carried -matter appellative of certain possible football game plays, said cards being arranged in groups for the purpose of segregating plays such as Punts and kicks Tasses. and Scrimmage plays. v

A further object of this invention is to provide a game whereby the rules and regulations with respect to playing the game of football might betaught through the use of Aa plurality of cards upon each of which is affixed matter appelative of football plays, said plays being descriptive of those possible at a regular football game.

vAn even further aim of the invention is the provision of an amusement device patterned after the conventional football game and having as a' part thereof, a large number of cards arranged in groups, one of said groups constituting a greater number of cards than the other groups and serving as a timing medium for the period of play in the game.

Minor objects of the invention and the manner of playing this football game will become apparent during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a face view of a chart made in accordance with this invention, and, v

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are diagrammatical illustrations of the groups of cards used in playing the game and having indicia thereon such as fully hereinafter set down. y

The chart 6 consists of an ordinary flat member having a design 8 on the face thereof that is suggestive of the conventional' football eld. In

this instance, the yard lines I0 should be distinctly marked and numerals l2 along the marginal edge f4 of chart 6 will guide the players when moving the indicator I6 that is associated with the chart for the purpose of indicating the position of the ball during the game. Intermediate division lines I8 may be utilized if desired and during play indicator I6 is moved back and forth across the face v of chart 6 as the players reveal the faces of the cards chosen.

The preferred form of the game requires that a plurality of cards or similar units 20 be employed and that they be divided into groups as indicated by Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The face of each card carries matter appellative of certain possible football game plays and the groups of cards indicated by Figs. 2, 3 and 4 have punts and kicks plays, passes, and scrimmage plays, respectively.

All cards are face downduring play, thus con- 5 cealing the play until the cards are selected from a particular group and turned face up.

While the number of cards may be increased or decreased as desired, it has been found possible to play the game advantageously if cards are 1o divided and have thereon matter as indicated by` the following:

Punts and kicks Punt 5l yds-Returned 10. 15

Punt 25 yds.-Fumbled-Recovered by kicking team. Reverse: Punt blocked-Recovered by opponents 2 yds. hack of line of scrimmage.

Punt 45 yds-Returned 9 yds.

Kickoff returned to 33 yd. line.

Punt out of bounds 4l yds.

Punt 48 yds-Returned ll.. 2()

Kickoff returned to 22 yd. line.

vDropkick-Blocked. One end: Recovered by opponents 8 yds. back of line of scrimmage. Other end reversed: Recovered by offense 4 yds. back of line of scrimmage. Kickoff returned to 25 yd. line. 'Kickoff returned to 35 yd. line. Punt 35 yds-Returned 3 yds. Punt 38 yds-Returned 3 yds. 25 Punt 45 yds-Returned 7 yds. Punt 50 yds-Returned 14 yds. Kickoff returned to 28 yd. line. Punt 43 yds-Returned l1. Punt 5l yds-Out of bounds. Punt out of bounds 23 yds. Punt 45 yds-Returned 3 yds. 30 Placekick missed. Placekick blocked.

of line of scrimmage. on line of scrimmage. Placekick good if within l5 yd. line. Placekick goed if within 20 yd. line. Plocekick good if within 25 yd. line. Dropkick missed. 35 Dropkick good if within l0 yd. line. Dropkick good if within 15 yd. line. Dropkick good if within 20 yd. line.

One end: Recovered by opponents 5 yds. back Other end reversed: Recovered by offense Passes Pass to left en'd brings 6 yds. 40 Forward pass 7 yds-Incomplete. Forward pass to right end-7 yd. gain. Forward pass to quarter back for 3 yd. gam. Passer caught before throw-loses 'i yds. Half back takes pass for gain of 6 yds.

Forward pass 8 yds-Incomplete. 45

Pass over the line of scrimmage-8 yd. gain.

Short pass over line nets gain of 3 yds.

Left end snags long pass for gain of 3l yds. One end: Ii in 4th quarter good for 33 yds. Other end reversed: If in 4th quarter, good for e touchdown, provided two preceeding plays were incompleted 3 yds. beyond line of scrimmage. 55

scrimmage plays Odense odside Defensive choice 013 yd. loss or 5 yd. penalty.

One yard gain at center.

Odense penalized 15 yds. (or holding.

No gain at leit guard.

Break through right tackle-7 yd. gain.

Thrust at right tackle brings no gain.

Plunge through right tackle nets 3 yds.

Defense stiens to stop attack at center-No gain.

No gain on attempted run around left end.

Left tackle breaks through, stops runner with a 3 yd, lo.

Attempt at right tackle-No gain.

Right end throws ball carrier for 2 yd. loss.

One yard gain at right guard.

Dash through center gains 5 yds.

Halfback drives through line for 4 yd. gain.

Right end run nets 3 yd. gain. l

Right tackle stops play at line with 1 yd. loss.

Leit end throws ball carrier for 4 yd. loss.

Spinner play permits 6 yd. gain. U

Leit tackle p revents gain through the line.

Defense penalized 15 yds. for unnecessary roughness.

Defense oiiside odensive choice oid yd. gain or 5 yd; penalty.

Dash through right tackle 5 yd. gain.

Right end run nets no gam.

Short dash around left end nets 2 yds.

Good interference permits 7 yd. gam around right end.

Ploughing through center brxngs 8 yd. gam.

Right tackle yields for a 2.yd. gainI Right end stops runner w1th no gain.

Fumble recovered by opponents on line oi scrimmage. Reverse: Run

around right end nets gain oi 25 yds. f

Fumble recovered by ofiense with 5 yd. loss. Reverse: Safety man nails runner after drive through left tackle for 16 yd. gain.

After gain oi l0 yds. ball fumbled-.Recovered by opponents. Reverse: Fullback reversing the field gains 19 yds. f

In some instances a card has in the center thereof one type of playV such as Dropkick blocked while there is reversed matter at each end of the card requiring the player selecting said card to make a play in accordance with the matter which reads properly to him. In other Words, the sentences along each end of the card has the base of the letters toward that end and when one sentence is upright, the other will be inverted to indicate that its provision is not to be followed.

A still further type of card 20 having one sentence describing a play in reversed order to another sentence so that the manner of makingthe play is determined by the end towardthe player when the card is chosen from the stack is indicated by the last listed card matter under the y heading of scrimmage plays. Any number of cards of this character might be used and some form of the rules of the game have been found interesting Where cards having reversed matter at each end thereof are used only during the last period of the game being played. It is to be borne in mind that this game is played precisely as the regulation game of football and that so long as one player draws cards which permits the ball to remain in his possession, the other player stands by until the rst mentioned player loses possession of the ball through such plays as Fumble-recovered by opponents on line of scrimmage. Obviously, the ball might be lost to an opponent by failing to advance a certain distance after drawing a given number of cards from any of the three groups. g

Under normal conditions, and in games of this general character, there has been utilized an ordinary spinner-chart or similar device that could not automatically determine the length of time player to lose the game.

In this instance, when all of the cards 2l)` arranged in superimposedrelation in the group indicated by Fig. 3 have been drawn, one period of the game is to be considered completed and the speed with which the cards are selected and movesl and lengthening the time of the game. On the contrary, it is to the advantage of the player who is ahead in score to play the scrimmage group in order to terminate the game as quickly as pos- -sible and eliminate his opponents chances of scoring. It is a well known fact that in the actual game of football the team ahead in score resorts to scrimmage plays as much as possible in order to playa conservative game and use as much time as possible, and the team behind in score will'resort to the more hazardous Passing type of play in an effort to use as little-time as possible and to score by that method if possible. Thus it may be seen through the arrangement of these cards and rule of play this game results exactly the same as the real game of football.

If such a condition with respect to the scrimmage cards existed and a game was in its fourth or last period and the player selected a card from the group containing pass plays he may draw a card which reads as indicated at the bottom of the first column listing all passes.

The game is opened by selecting a card from the group of Punts and Kicks and this ilrst selected card must be a Kickoff play such as Kickoff returned to 28 yd. line. From this point on the player handles the game and selection of plays in a manner similar to the selection that is made by the quarterback of a football team and when the card groups such as hereinbefore listed are used it will be found that the game will proceed in much the same manner as would a regular football game. 'Ihe fact that the portant features of this invention and the ar-- rangement of cards in groups in a predetermined number of units allows suchV timing to take place.

In view of the fact that some cards 20 have the reversed wording thereon, it is preferable to use cards without markings on the back that would indicate the position of advantageous plays.

It must be understood that a large number of variations might be followed in marking the cards, but in order to establish proper relation and percentage of plays, the hereinbefore described card markings 'must be substantially, followed. The cards in the three groups may have designs on the backs thereof if the position of advan-l tageous plays is not revealed. Type of kick may be selected by observing the name on the back which may be either Kickoff Punt Place kick or Dropkick. i

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a game of the character described, a deck 'oi' playing cards divided into three separate, isolated groups of' cards; matter carried on one side of each card respectively of the first group to indicate that the cards thereof belong to that group and further indicating that other matter on the cards of the first group represent pass plays of n.

cards indicating the nature oi' scrimmage plays ot.

football game; matter carried on one side of each card respectively of the second group to indicate that the cards thereof belong to that group and further indicating that other matter on the cards of the second group represent punt plays ot'a football game; matter carried on one side of each card respectively of the third group to indicate that the cards thereof belong to that group and further indicating that other matter on the cards of the third group represent scrimmage plays of a football game; matter carried by the other side of each card respectively of the iirst group'of cards indicating the nature of pass plays of a football game to be made as the cards are removed from the group; matter carried by the other side of each card respectively of the second groupy ofv cards indicating the nature of punt plays of a football game to be made as the cards are removed from the group; and matter carried by the other 20 side of each card respectively of the third group of a footballl game to be made as the cards are re, moved from the group, the matter carried by the said other sides of each card in each of the said-v three groups being arranged. on certain of the cards of each group to indicate more than one type of pass, punt and scrimmage plays, said ar- HUGH B. DOWNEY. 20 

